Find My Film Lab

David’s Film Lab is a modern film lab and rental house in Lagos, Nigeria. We spoke with owner David Adebiyi about how he got started, and how he and his team are keeping film alive in Nigeria.

Follow David’s Film Lab on Instagram at @davidsfilmlabng for a behind the scenes look at the lab and a ton of great informative content such as Push v Pull Processing?,  How To Store Your Film Like a Pro, Film 101, and more.

Tell us about yourself?

My name is David Adebiyi, I am in my early 20s and I started the lab when I was around 18 years old from my kitchenette with no air conditioner or ventilation. I had developed a passion for film and I really wanted to understand how film worked, and that was the space at time. This was how my journey began, I wanted to learn new things about film, and I did exactly that, especially while I was at school in the UK. I practiced a lot, learned a lot. I enjoyed it, I made a lot of mistakes, I messed up some of my film, scanned some great shots too. I never really understood the chemistry so that’s what made me go from shooting on film to also processing the film. After somewhat perfecting my craft (don’t worry you still mess up some rolls even at this point), I told myself that there were probably people exactly like me in Nigeria who had the same passion for film and nowhere to go with it and I wanted to bridge that gap. That is how I got encouraged to start the business and it’s been up from there. Now, the lab has been in business for more than three years — we’re nearing the 4th year in December. My decision for opening a film lab in Nigeria was to provide to that need, to help create a space for the community of film lovers who need an avenue to continue their craft. I did not want the love of film to fade; I knew that at that moment I could be part of the people helping to keep film alive. I made mistakes along the way, but I am happy we still exist and that I could learn from that.

What do you love about analog photography?

I am going to try not to get too philosophical with this because I can speak on that for hours, seriously though the thing with analog photography is that it is unique and that uniqueness goes beyond just taking a photo and saving it. It really encompasses a process, and each process adds to the beauty that is the result and the excitement that comes with seeing your photos take full form. It’s a new journey each time you shoot a roll of film, if you get what I mean. To me analog photography will always stand out better than digital photography.

Do you have anything coming up for the lab or any special events you’d like to tell us about?

Well, yes we’ve been planning an exhibition for the longest time, and we do want to let you know that we’re working on a very personal project that is a David’s Film Lab exhibition. We’re looking forward to next year, more information is for sure. In the meantime, we are working with a very close friend of ours Lily to also be at her brand’s upcoming event in October. It’s called Retrofunk Revival, and it genuinely celebrates the beauty of retro and nostalgic media platforms. We’d love to see you all there, it’s a free entry invite secured simply by RSVPing. So be on the lookout for the registration link!

Anything else you’d like to add?

Truth be told the Nigerian climates isn’t exactly the best for starting or owning a niche business like this, and so many things have become more expensive. We are working hard to make sure that you can still shoot film affordably. We’re going to continue to do all that we can to make sure that film in fact does not die. We will keep film alive, and we invite you all to join us! Thank you.

David’s Film Lab is located in ADDAS MALL, 8/10 Hakeem Balogun St, opposite Cadbury plc, Agidingbi, Ikeja 100212, Lagos, Nigeria. You can also follow them on Instagram at @davidsfilmlabng.